ThePrint ThePrintPod: After 465% spike in 2024, MHA data shows digital arrest scams are on a decline in India
Feb 18, 2026
A deep dive into the dramatic rise and fall of digital arrest scams in India, including a 465% spike in 2024 and an 86% drop later. Conversation covers how awareness campaigns, SMS alerts and public messaging helped curb losses. The reporting traces scam call origins to Southeast Asian scam farms and explains how these operations run like factories.
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Spike Then Sharp Decline
- Digital arrest scams surged sharply through 2024 but began declining in 2025 with far fewer cases and losses.
- MHA data shows cases fell 86% and losses dropped 66.4% year-on-year in 2025.
Numbers Tell The Story
- The number of cases rose from ~40k in 2022 to 123k in 2024 before dropping to 17,264 in 2025.
- Financial losses climbed from Rs 91 crore in 2022 to Rs 1,918 crore in 2024 then fell to Rs 644 crore in 2025.
Sustain Awareness Campaigns
- Public awareness campaigns (SMS, call-toons, ads, PM mentions) helped reduce victimisation.
- Continue and expand such campaigns to maintain downward pressure on scams.